Method and system for managing bandwidth by a broadband gateway

ABSTRACT

Aspects of a method and system for managing bandwidth by a broadband gateway are provided. In this regard, broadband gateway may, upon receiving a request for content from a user of the communication device, present, via a graphical user interface, a message that offers a benefit to the user in exchange for deferring consumption of the content until a later time. The gateway may then deliver the content to the communication device at a time determined by a response to the message received from the communication device. The message may provide several times at which the content may be delivered and a corresponding benefit available for each of the times. The times may correspond to times at which it is expected there will be less traffic in the network over which the content is to be delivered.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This patent application makes reference to, claims priority to andclaims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/351,696 filed on Jun. 4, 2010.

The above stated application is hereby incorporated herein by referencein its entirety.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application also makes reference to

-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23397US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23398US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23399US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23400US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23401US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23402US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23403US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23404US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23405US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23406US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23407US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23408US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23409US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23410US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23411US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23412US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23413US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23414US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23415US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23416US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23417US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23418US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23419US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23420US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23421US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23422US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23423US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23424US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23425US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23426US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23427US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23428US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23429US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23430US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23431US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23432US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23433US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23434US02) filed on even date herewith;-   U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.    23435US02) filed on even date herewith;

Each of the above stated applications is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a broadband gateway. Morespecifically, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a methodand system for managing bandwidth by a broadband gateway.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the continuous growth of digital television or broadcastmultimedia, and/or broadband access, which may be used in conjunctionwith online businesses, social networks, and/or other online servicesand applications, users may desire having access to a larger number ofproviders and/or a broader range of content in a manner that is flexibleand/or suits the users' lifestyles. Most users connect to the Internetusing web browsers running on personal computers (PCs). Furthermore,most households may have one or more televisions that may be used toview television and/or multimedia broadcasts. Television broadcasts mayinclude terrestrial TV, Cable-Television (CATV), satellite TV and/orInternet Protocol television (IPTV) based broadcasts. To ensure againstunauthorized reception and/or use of TV and/or multimedia broadcast,service providers may require use of dedicated set-top boxes (STBs) thatmay be used to encrypt broadcast signals communicated from the serviceproviders to generate suitable video and/or audio streams that may beplayed via televisions and/or other display/playback devices in thehousehold. Furthermore, STBs and/or TVs may support Internet access.Thus, rather than using a computer to access the Internet, a user mayfind it more convenient to use the flat screen televisions and/ormonitors in homes for the same purpose. To do so, for example, an STBconnected to a flat screen television may be provided with web browsingsoftware and protocols, and Internet connectivity, which may enable theuser to easily access the Internet or check their electronic mail(email), for example, from a convenient and comfortable location such astheir living room.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention asset forth in the remainder of the present application with reference tothe drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and/or method is provided for managing bandwidth by a broadbandgateway, substantially as illustrated by and/or described in connectionwith at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in theclaims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the presentinvention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, willbe more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary communication systemthat comprises a home network serviced by a broadband gateway, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary broadband gateway,in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary message via which agateway may offer a user a benefit in exchange for deferring consumptionof content, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for managing a loadon a network by incentivizing deferral of content consumption, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for managing a loadon a network by incentivizing deferral of content consumption, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and systemfor managing bandwidth by a broadband gateway. In various embodiments ofthe invention, a broadband gateway may enables communication with aplurality of communication devices, and be operable to handle at leastone physical layer connection to at least one corresponding networkaccess service provider. The gateway may, upon receiving a request forcontent from a user of the communication device, present, via agraphical user interface, a message that offers a benefit to the user inexchange for deferring consumption of the content until a later time.The gateway may then deliver the content to the communication device ata time determined by a response to the message received from thecommunication device. The broadband gateway may be operable to handle aplurality of physical layer connections to a corresponding plurality ofnetwork access service providers. The message may be presented afterdetermining current and/or historical usage of a network over which thecontent is to be delivered. The message may provide several times atwhich the content may be delivered and a corresponding benefit availablefor each of the times. The times may correspond to times at which it isexpected there will be less traffic in the network over which thecontent is to be delivered. The benefit may comprise a credit to asubscriber account associated with the broadband gateway. The credit maybe redeemable for free or discounted services and/or content. The creditmay be redeemable for access to other content before the other contentis available via other broadband gateways. The benefit may be a monetaryamount added to a subscriber account associated with the broadbandgateway. In instances that delivery of the content is deferred, thecontent may be downloaded to local storage at a time or times that mayactually or historically correspond to periods of relatively lighttraffic in a network via which the content is to be downloaded.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary communication systemthat comprises a home network serviced by a broadband gateway, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1,there is shown a home network 100 a, a plurality of distributionnetworks 110, a plurality of service providers 120, and a plurality ofcontent providers 130. The home network 100A may be serviced by abroadband gateway 102. Also shown in FIG. 1 are additional home networks100 b, . . . , 100 n, and an emergency services provider network 140.Each of the home networks 100 b, . . . , 100 n may also be serviced by abroadband gateway 102.

The service providers 120 may comprise various entities which mayprovide various services to the devices 104 via the gateway 102 and/orto the gateway 102 itself. Some of the service providers 120 maycomprise network access service providers which provide physical layerconnections to the gateway 102. Such physical layer connections may thenbe utilized to access, and/or may be part of, one or more of thedistribution networks 110. In this regard, “network access serviceprovider” as utilized herein, is distinguished from the more genericterm “service provider” which may encompass services other thanproviding physical layer access to a network. Cable televisionproviders, plain old telephone service (POTS) providers, digitalsubscriber line (DSL) providers, cellular providers, WiMAX providers,and satellite providers are examples of network access serviceproviders.

The content providers 130 may generate, capture, and/or package content,such as multimedia content, that may be distributed to end-users. Thecontent may comprise, for example, audio, video, e-book, gaming, and/orother content. The content may be, for example, downloadable and/orstreaming, rented and/or purchased. In some instances, a contentprovider and a service provider may be separate. In some instances, asingle provider may provide both content and services. For example, anentity that functions as a network access service provider may alsoprovide content and/or services other than network access and, thus,that entity may also be accurately referred to as a “content provider”and/or a “service provider.” Content and/or services that are providedby a content provider 130 and/or a service provider 120 may be providedto the gateway 102 via a physical connection provided by a networkaccess service provider 120.

The plurality of distribution networks 110 may comprise one or morenetworks that may be operable to enable wireless, optical, and/or wiredcommunication among a plurality of entities based on one or morenetworking and/or communication infrastructures. In this regard, theplurality of distribution networks 110 may be utilized to enabledistributing multimedia content generated by the content providers 130,directly and/or via the service providers 120, to end-users. The networkconnectivity available via the plurality of distribution networks 110may be based on one or more communication standards and/or protocols.The plurality of distribution networks 110 may comprise, for example,the Internet 110 a, a CATV network 110 b, a satellite television (TV)network 110 c, a wireless local area network/wide area network (LAN/WAN)110 d, and/or a cellular network 110 e.

The Internet 110 a may comprise a system of interconnected networks toenable exchange of data between a plurality of nodes, based on one ormore networking standards, including, for example, the Internet Protocol(IP). For example, the Internet 110 a may enable connectivity among aplurality of private and public, academic, business, and/or governmentnodes and/or networks. The physical connectivity may be provided in theInternet 110 a via, for example, the Public Switched Telephone Network(PSTN), copper wires, fiber-optic cables, wireless interfaces, and/orother protocols and/or standards-based interfaces. The transportfunctionality may be performed in the Internet 110 a based on, forexample, one or more protocols, such as the Transmission ControlProtocol/IP (TCP/IP), for example. The CATV network 110 b may comprisesuitable distribution nodes, systems, and/or subnetworks that may enableforwarding of communication between CATV providers and a plurality ofcable-TV consumers. For example, the CATV network 110 b may comprise anetwork of fiber optics and/or coaxial cables for use in CATVbroadcasts. The satellite TV network 110 c may comprise suitabledistribution nodes, systems, and/or subnetworks that may enablecommunication of satellite TV broadcast by satellite TV providers to aplurality of consumers. For example, the satellite network 110 c maycomprise a plurality of orbiting satellite nodes and/or one or moreterrestrial centers in a satellite-TV system.

The LAN/WAN network 110 d may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to enable implementation ofone or more wired and/or wireless LAN or WAN standards and/or protocols.Exemplary WAN technologies comprise, for example, WiMAX-based networks.Exemplary LAN technologies may comprise, for example, those based onIEEE 802.11 standards, including, for example, WiFi-based networks. Thecellular network 110 e may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that may be operable to enable communication viaone or more cellular technologies. Exemplary cellular technologies maycomprise Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA),CDMA1000, High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), Global System forMobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Services (GPRS),Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE), and/or Universal MobileTelecommunication System (UMTS). The cellular network 110 e maycomprise, for example, a plurality of control and/or switching nodes,and a plurality of base stations that enable transmission and/orreception of cellular based communications between the cellular network110 e and cellular capable devices.

The home network 100 a may correspond to a location that may comprise aplurality of devices 104 which may be serviced and/or managed by thebroadband gateway 102. In this regard, the location may be a residence(e.g., home, apartment), a small business, a school, a library, and/orother like settings in which users may want to obtain access to serviceand/or to content provider networks. The broadband gateway 102 may beutilized in the home network 100 a to provide connectivity between thehome network 100 a and the service providers 120 (and/or the contentproviders 130) via the distribution networks 110.

The broadband gateway 102 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to provide connectivitybetween one or more devices in a home network, such as the home network100 a, and a plurality of external networks. For example, the broadbandgateway 102 may handle a plurality of broadband physical layerconnections 108 to the distribution networks 110. The broadband physicallayer connections 108 may comprise wired, optical, and/or wirelessconnections between the broadband gateway 102 and the distributionnetworks 110. The broadband gateway 102 may operate as an interfacedevice that may allow one or more service and/or content providers tointeract with various devices in the home network. In this regard, thebroadband gateway 102 may be operable to perform and/or provide variousservices that may pertain to enabling and/or facilitating reception ofcontent from one or more content providers, wherein the content may bedelivered through one or more services providers. For example, thebroadband gateway 102 may be operable to perform such operations asnetwork access related processing (e.g., PHY/MAC, transport layerprocessing), encryption and/or decryption, user and/or accountauthentication, and/or at least some of video and/or audio processingoperations that may be needed for consumption of multimedia content. Thebroadband gateway 102 may communicate with various devices in the homenetwork 100, using wired and/or wireless communication links.

A single gateway 102 may be operable to handle multiple physical layer(i.e., layer 1 of the open-systems interconnection model (OSI))connections 108 to multiple ones, or portions, of the distributionnetworks 110, where different ones or portions of the distributionnetwork(s) 110 are owned, operated, leased, or otherwise associated withdifferent network access service providers 120. For example, a firstnetwork access service provider 120 may provide network access to thegateway 102 via a DSL connection over twisted-pair cabling, and a secondnetwork access service provider 120 may provide network access to thegateway 102 via a cable television connection over coaxial cabling. Insome instances, the gateway 102 may be operable to concurrentlycommunicate over multiple physical layer connections 108 provided bymultiple network access service providers 120.

The broadband gateway 102 may also be operable to provide and/or supportvarious other, non-content related services in the home network 100. Forexample, the broadband gateway 102 may be operable to provide energymanagement in the home network 100 a, by controlling and/or adjustingconfiguration of one or more devices in the home network to reduce powerconsumption for example.

Devices serviced by, and/or connected with the broadband gateway 102 maycomprise content consuming devices and/or other, non-content consuminghousehold or home devices that may be operable to interact with thebroadband gateway 102. For example, the broadband gateway 102 mayservice, and/or may communicate with a plurality of home devices 104a-104 j in the home network 100 a. The devices 104 a-104 j may each bereferred to as a communication device or an electronic device. The homedevices may comprise, for example, one or more of a television 104 a, alaptop computer 104 b, a smoke detector, a carbon monoxide detector,and/or a security alarm 104 c, a computer and/or server 104 d, a mobilephone 104 e, a speaker 104 f, an AM/FM radio 104 g, a phone 104 h, anappliance 104 i (e.g., refrigerator), and a digital video recorder (DVR)or personal video recorder (PVR) 104 j. The broadband gateway 102 mayinteract with each of the home devices 104 a-104 j via links 106 a-106j, which may be supported by the broadband gateway 102 and thecorresponding home device. For example, the link 106 a between thebroadband gateway 102 and the television 104 a may comprise aHigh-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable. The link 106 b maycomprise, for example, a wired Ethernet link, a wireless Ethernet link,a Universal Serial Bus (USB) link, or an IEEE 1394 link. The link 106 cmay comprise, for example, a two-wire link or a wireless link. The link106 d may comprise, for example, a wired Ethernet link, a wirelessEthernet link, a USB link, or an IEEE 1394 link. The link 106 e maycomprise, for example, a wireless Ethernet link, a USB link, or acellular link. The link 106 f may comprise speaker wire and/or awireless link. The link 106 g may comprise, for example, AM and/or FMradio transmissions broadcast received using the broadband gateway 102.The link 106 h may comprise, for example, a phone line. The link 106 imay comprise, for example, a wired or wireless Ethernet link. The link106 j may comprise, for example, a wired or a wireless link.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of home networks 100 b, . . . ,100 n, may also be connected to the distribution networks 110. Thesehome networks 100 b, . . . , 100 n may operate in substantially the samemanner as the home network 100 a. By having multiple home networksconnected to the distribution networks 110, various applications, suchas peer-to-peer communication and/or data aggregation operations may bepossible by utilizing the broadband gateways 102 in the home networks.

In operation, a user of one or more of the devices 104, e.g., atelevision viewer, may request content via the broadband gateway 102.For example, the user may select a television program by browsing anelectronic programming guide (EPG) displayed on the television 104 a bythe gateway 102. Selection of the television program may, in effect,request that a content provider 130 associated with the televisionprogram deliver the television program to the gateway 102 via one ormore of the networks 110.

Upon the user requesting the television program, the gateway 102 may,prior to requesting the content from the associated content provider130, determine the load on the one or more networks 110 via which thetelevision program is to be delivered. The load on the network(s) 110may be determined based on past network statistics and/or currentnetwork activity. The network statistics may be collected by the gateway102 and/or may be collected by one or more service providers 120 and/orcontent providers 130 and may be communicated to the gateway 102occasionally, periodically, and/or upon request. Current networkactivity may be determined by, for example, sending test packets intothe network and/or querying various entities in the network.

In instances that the network over which the television program is to bedelivered is currently congested or experiencing a relatively highvolume of traffic, and/or instances that the high volumes of traffic areexpected at some point during the television program, the gateway 102may offer the user a benefit in exchange for deferring viewing of thetelevision program until later. In this regard, it may be advantageousto the service and/or content providers to defer transmission of thecontent so as not to further add to the already high load on the networkat that time. This may, for example, reduce costs of operation and/orenable ensuring adequate quality of service to customers. For example, apop-up window, as is described with respect to FIG. 3, may be displayedand the viewer may have the option of viewing the television program atits regularly scheduled time, or agreeing to view the television laterwhen the network is less congested and/or at a time which wouldotherwise be more advantageous for the content and/or serviceprovider(s). Additionally or alternatively, configured user preferences,configured device preferences, and/or default settings may determinewhether to accept the benefit in exchange for deferring consumptionwithout having to request approval from the user. In this manner, theload on the network may be managed so that a load on the network may bemore evenly distributed, thus reducing peak loads on the network and,therefore, costs associated with owning and operating the network.

Examples of benefits which may be offered to a user comprise, monetarycredits to a subscriber account associated with the broadband gateway102, and credits added to a subscriber account associated with thebroadband gateway. Such credits may, for example, be redeemable for freeand/or discounted content and/or services. Such credits may, forexample, be redeemable to give the broadband gateway 102 priority accessto other content. Priority access may comprise being allowed to view orconsume certain content before other users and/or subscribers areallowed to view or consume that certain content. That is, the creditsmay be redeemable to give broadband gateway 102 access to particularcontent before the particular content is available to other broadbandgateways.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary broadband gateway,in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2,the broadband gateway 102 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code,and/or interfaces that may be operable to provide connectivity betweenone or more networks, such as the distribution networks 110 shown inFIG. 1, for example, and one or more devices in a home network, such asthe home devices 104 a-104 j in the home network 100 a shown in FIG. 1.In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may operate as an interfacedevice that allows one or more devices in the home network to access oneor more networks, and to access various services and/or content viathose one or more networks. For example, the broadband gateway 102 maybe utilized to enable interaction between the plurality of serviceproviders 120 and/or the plurality of content providers 130, and thehome devices 104 a-104 j.

The broadband gateway 102 may communicate with the various devices via ahome network that may comprise wired, optical, and/or wirelesscommunication links, such as the home network 100 a. In this regard, thebroadband gateway 102 may comprise suitable hardware and/or software toprovide some or all of the functions and/or operations of one or more ofa modem, a router, and a switch. The modem functions and/or operationsmay be those of a digital subscribed line (DSL) modem, a cable modem,and/or a wireless cable modem, for example. The router functions and/oroperations may be those of a wireless router, for example. The switchfunctions and/or operations may be those of a network switch, or a localarea network (LAN) switch, for example. In some instances, the broadbandgateway 102 may communicate with the various devices in the home viamore than one home network.

The broadband gateway 102 may comprise one or more modules. Each ofthese modules may comprise hardware, software, or a combination thereofthat may be utilized to perform various operations associated with thebroadband gateway 102. In an embodiment of the invention, the broadbandgateway 102 may comprise a provider interface module 202, a processormodule 204, a memory module 206, and a client network interface module208. In some instances, the broadband gateway 102 may be such that thevarious modules listed above may be distributed over multiple devices.Moreover, the modules listed above are provided by way of illustrationand not of limitation. Other configurations and/or architectures of thebroadband gateway 102 may also be implemented. For example, thebroadband gateway 102 may be a virtual gateway that is setup in anetwork by utilizing virtual machines (VMs) and/or next-generation (NG)data centers.

The provider interface module 202 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, code, and/or interfaces that may be operable to receive datafrom and/or send data to one or more service/content providers via oneor more physical layer connections 108 to one or more network accessservice providers. In this regard, each of the physical layerconnections 108 ₁-108 _(J) may connect the gateway 110 to a differentnetwork access service provider. Each of the physical layer connections108 may comprise a wired, optical, or wireless connection. Each of thephysical layer connections 108 may utilize different physical mediaand/or different physical layer protocols. For example, the connection108 ₁ may comprise a DSL over twisted-pair connection and the connection108 _(j) may comprise a CATV over coaxial cable connection.

The processor module 204 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code,and/or interfaces that may be operable to process data received from theservice/content providers and/or data received from one or more devices104 in the home. Data from one or more devices 104 may comprise userinput such as feedback regarding consumed content and responses toquestionnaires, surveys, and polls. Data received from theservice/content providers via one or more the physical layer connections108 ₁-108 _(J) may be processed to make it suitable for communication toa device 108 and data from the one or more devices 104 may be processedto make it suitable for communication to the service/content providersvia one or more the physical layer connections 108 ₁-108 _(J). In thisregard, the processor module 124 may comprise one or more portions thatare suitable to handle certain types of data such as video data and/oraudio data, for example. The processor module 204 may also be operableto generate a graphical user interface (GUI) which may be manipulatedvia which a user may provide input. The GUI may be displayed as part ofan OSD on a local device 104, such as a monitor or television, and maybe manipulated via a remote control and/or other input device thatcommunicates directly with the gateway 102. The GUI may be a web-basedinterface, and a user may interact with it via a computer and webbrowser. The GUI may be customized based on characteristics of thegateway 102, the device 104 coupled to the gateway, and the serviceand/or content providers associated with the gateway 102. The processorsmodule 124 may utilize the memory 206 in performing its functions.

The memory module 206 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, code,and/or interfaces that may be operable to store data utilized in theoperations of the broadband gateway 102. For example, the memory module206 may be utilized to store configuration data, parameters, deviceinformation, tracking and/or monitoring information, securityinformation, and intermediate processing data, for example. The memorymodule 206 may comprise storage media that may be integrated in thebroadband gateway 102 and/or may be removable such as a removablestorage device.

The client network interface module 208 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, code, and/or interfaces that may be operable to receive datafrom and/or send data to one or more devices in the home network. Theclient network interface module 208 may be operable to support multiplecommunication protocols, standards, and/or data transport technologies.In this regard, the client network interface module 208 may handle oneor more physical layer connections to one or more devices 104. Forexample, the client network interface module 208 may comprise, one ormore wired and/or wireless Ethernet interfaces, one or more analogand/or digital audio outputs, one or more audio/video interfaces such assuch as HDMI and DisplayPort, one or more USB interfaces, one or moreIEEE 1394, and/or one or more telephone jacks.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to provide energy managementby varying the configuration of one or more devices in the home network.The broadband gateway 102 may collect and/or store energy-relatedinformation of the devices in the home network and/or of the links inthe home network, and may utilize such information to control theoperation of the home devices. For example, the broadband gateway 102may utilize channel capacity flexibility and content coding options tominimize and/or optimize power utilization. The broadband gateway 102may also configure and/or manage the configuration of the networkbetween the broadband gateway 102 and one or more service/contentproviders based on the energy-related information associated with thedevices in the home. For example, at least a portion of the distributionnetworks 100 may be configured and/or managed in this manner. Thebroadband gateway 102 may be utilized to display energy-related metrics,including consumption trends and/or costs, for example, and to displayany available credits/rewards that may be redeemed by an account holder.In some instances, when a device in the home network is a certifieddevice, such as a California efficient display, for example, thebroadband gateway 102 may be utilized to provide that information to aservice/content provider and obtain rewards/credits associated with theuse of such certified devices. Moreover, overall network powerconsumption may be managed by sharing information among multipleinterconnected broadband gateways.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to adapt and/or enable changesin a subscription model and/or in multimedia delivery characteristicsbased on the capabilities of the various devices in the home network.For example, high-definition video content may be delivered to certaintype of devices, such as digital televisions (DTVs), whilelow-definition video content and/or text may be delivered to a differenttype of devices, such as personal mobile devices. In this regard, thebroadband gateway 102 may be utilized to reduce bandwidth and/or powerconsumption in the home network. The broadband gateway 200 may alsosupport and/or use multi-transport processing, which may be performedsequentially, in parallel, and/or utilizing distributed processing.

The gateway functionality associated with a user, such as securityfeatures, preferences, applications, electronic programming guides(EPGs), and user profile, for example, may be ported from the broadbandgateway 102 to one or more other broadband gateways 102 in otherlocations. In some instances, a visitor may be allowed access to theircontent outside their service/content provider service area by, forexample, classifying the access level for different users and/or byproviding limited access to content. Moreover, the broadband gateway 102may allow multiple user interface software structures by, for example,standardizing an interface to service/content providers and devices inthe home network.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to broker and/or arbitratewith service/content providers the consumption of certain services, suchas music and video, for example. In some instances, the broadbandgateway 102 may perform content search, transport discovery, ranking,and/or sorting. These operations may be performed based on contentquality, price, quality-of-service (QOS), and network protocolssupported by the devices in the home network, such as service levelagreements (SLAs), for example.

Various emergency-related services in the home network may be supportedby the broadband gateway 102, including allowing first responders toprovide alerts to a select group of users by accessing the broadbandgateway 102 via secure links provided by the service/content providers.For example, the broadband gateway 102 may enable an emergency serviceprovider, such as those associated with the emergency service providernetwork 140 described above in FIG. 1, to access one or more devices inthe home network.

For peer-to-peer communication, the broadband gateway 102 may beutilized to allow enhanced content sharing in a service/content providernetwork. In this regard, the broadband gateway 102 may be utilized toconstruct a directory service for peer-to-peer connectivity with friendsand family, for example. The broadband gateway 102 may be utilized toprovide incentives to users who engage in peer-to-peer communicationthrough, for example, the distribution networks 110. Moreover, thebroadband gateway 102 may be utilized to match the content coding to theservice type being consumed by the user and to make the necessaryallocations through the network with respect to peer-to-peer orconventional Internet programming or broadcast programming.

The broadband gateway 102 may be utilized in connection with constrainednetwork resources, such as time of day, traffic congestion, and thelike, for example, to provide incentives for a user to accept a lowercost, lower quality of service that is dynamically configured forcurrent network conditions. In some instances, the broadband gateway 102may allow enhanced low latency service delivery to client devices in ahome network.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to run or execute an agent toextract content, rating, copyright, language, privacy rules, andautomatically add user-generated content, for example. Such agent may berun or executed in connection with the processor module 204 of thebroadband gateway 102, for example. In some instances, the broadbandgateway 102 may be operable to provide rating-related information orchannel prediction to a service/content provider to assist with fastchannel change.

Bandwidth optimization by, for example, placing future requests forbandwidth to a service/content provider and accepting the best timeslotsprovided in return may be enabled by the broadband gateway 102.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to combine and/or blendmultiple contents for use as single content in the home network. Suchcombination may be performed in one or more of the modules of thebroadband gateway 102. For example, the broadband gateway 102 may blenddifferent video and audio contents for an event by accessing one or moreservice/content providers and providing automatic and/or manual contentsynchronization.

The protection, management, and/or tracking of confidential data, suchas health and financial records, for example, by tagging the data may beprovided by the broadband gateway 102. Only when a user authorizes thetransfer of the confidential data will such data be stored and/oraggregated. The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to create atrusted rating mechanism for content. The broadband gateway 102 may besecure against external threats that may be downloaded from outside thehome network and may provide a secure domain distribution in the homenetwork. Automated and secured billing and payment services may also beprovided by the broadband gateway 102.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to utilize client or homedevice profile information to select layered video service(s) and/ortransmission. Such information may be stored, at least temporarily, inthe memory module 206 of the broadband gateway 102. In some instances,the programming and/or enhanced video layers received by the broadbandgateway 102 may be aggregated midstream by one or more network orrouting nodes.

The broadband gateway 102 may support a reduction in the cost ofunwatched content by using multi-tier billing for downloaded content,such as video content. The broadband gateway 102 may be utilized toprovide a unified payment portal for collecting and/or aggregatingcharges from multiple service and/or content providers.

In operation, a request for content may be received from a user of adevice 104 via the home network interface module 208. The processormodule 204, upon receiving the request, may determine whether it wouldbe advantageous to defer delivery of the content to a later time. Forexample, deferring delivery may reduce cost of operating the network(s)via which the content is to be delivered and/or may enable moreefficient utilization of network and/or gateway resources. In thisregard, the processor module 204 may determine a load on the network(s)via which the content is to be delivered. The processor module 204 maydetermine the load on the network by, for example, querying serviceand/or content providers via the provider interface module 202. Theprocessor module 204 may determine the load on the network based on, forexample, network statistics collected in the memory module 206 based oncommunications with the network(s).

In instances that it would be advantageous to defer delivery of thecontent until a later time, the processor module 204 may generate amessage that gives the user the option of receiving a benefit inexchange for deferring consumption of the content until later. Themessage may be communicated to the user via the home network interfacemodule 208. The user may provide input in response to the message, andthe input may be received via the home network interface module 208. Ininstances that the input indicates that the user would like to consumethe content immediately and/or at the regularly scheduled time, theprocessor module 204 may request the content from the content providervia the provider interface module 202. In instances that the inputindicates that the user would like to defer consumption of the content,the processor module may determine an optimal time for delivery of thecontent. At the determined optimal time, the content may be downloadedvia the provider interface module 202 and delivered to the user and/orstored to the memory 206.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary message via which agateway may offer a user a benefit in exchange for deferring consumptionof content, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referringto FIG. 3, the exemplary message comprises a pop-up dialog box 300displayed on a television 104 a by the gateway 102. The exemplarymessage informs the user that benefits are available for deferringviewing the desired content and enables the user to select between:viewing the content now (or at its regularly scheduled time) andforegoing any benefit, deferring viewing until “time 1” in exchange for“benefit 1”, and deferring viewing until “time 2” in exchange for“benefit 2”. The benefits may vary based on the inconvenience to theuser and/or on the benefit to the service and/or content provider(s).For example, “time 1” may be more convenient, from the user'sperspective, than “time 2”, but delivering the content at “time 2”versus delivering the content at “time 1,” may be more beneficial interms of alleviating congestion and/or demand on network resources.Accordingly, “benefit 2” may be a bigger benefit to the user than“benefit 1,” in an attempt to entice the user to view the content atless-convenient “time 2.” The user may make his selection using, forexample, a television remote control.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for managing a loadon a network by incentivizing deferral of content consumption, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, theexemplary steps may begin with step 402 in which a user may selectcontent for consumption via the gateway 102. For example, the user mayselect video content via an EPG generated by the gateway 102 anddisplayed on a television 104 a. In step 404, the gateway 102 maydetermine that delaying delivery of the content may be more efficientand/or cost-effective for the content and/or service provider(s)providing the content. In step 406, the gateway 102 may present the userwith the option to defer viewing in exchange for receiving one or morebenefits. In this regard, the user may be presented with one or morealternate times at which he can consume the content and thecorresponding benefits being offered for choosing those times.

In step 408, the user may select one of the deferred times. In step 410,prior to the deferred time of content consumption, the gateway 410 maydownload the content to a local storage. Accordingly, the gateway 102may download the content slowly and/or in segments such that networkresources may be utilized more efficiently than if the content had to bedownloaded at a rate suitable for real-time consumption. For example, ifthe content is regularly scheduled at 7:00 pm on Monday and the useragrees to view it at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, then the gateway 102 candetermine the optimum time(s) during that 24-hour period at which todownload the content. In step 412, at the time selected in step 408, theuser may consume the content via the gateway 102.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for managing a loadon a network by incentivizing deferral of content consumption, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5, theexemplary steps may begin with step 502 in which a user of a device 104may select content for consumption via the gateway 102. For example, theuser may select video content via an EPG generated by the gateway 102and displayed on a television 104 a. In step 504, it may be determinedwhether it would be sub-optimal or inefficient, from the perspective ofcontent and/or service provider(s) providing the content, to deliver thecontent at the time it is requested. In instances that delivery of thecontent at the time of request is not inefficient or sub-optimal, theexemplary steps may advance to step 514 and the content may be deliveredto the device 104 via the gateway 102.

Returning to step 504, in instances that delivery of the content at thetime of request is inefficient or sub-optimal, the exemplary steps mayadvance to step 506. In step 506, the gateway 102 may present the userwith the option to defer viewing in exchange for receiving one or morebenefits. In this regard, the user may be presented with one or morealternate times the content may be consumed and the correspondingbenefits being offered for choosing those times. In step 508, ininstances that the user wants to consume the content now and forego thebenefit, the exemplary steps may advance top step 514 and the contentmay be delivered to the device 104 via the gateway 102.

Returning to step 508, in instances that the user does accept a benefitin exchange for deferring consumption of the content, the exemplarysteps may advance to step 510. In step 510, the benefit may be provided.For example, a subscriber account associated with the gateway 102 mayhave a monetary amount credited to it and/or may have one or morecredits or “rewards” added to it. The credits or “rewards” may, forexample, be redeemable for free and/or discounted content and/orservices. The credits or “rewards” may, for example, be redeemable forupgrades to premium content and/or services. The credits or “rewards”may, for example, be redeemable for priority access to other content.

In step 512, the gateway 102 may wait until the time selected forconsumption of the content. In some instances, the gateway 102 maydownload the content prior to the selected time. In step 514, thecontent may be delivered and/or made available to the device 104

Various aspects of a method and system for managing bandwidth by abroadband gateway are provided. In an exemplary embodiment of theinvention, a broadband gateway 102 may enables communication with acommunication devices 104, and be operable to handle at least onephysical layer connection 108 to at least one corresponding networkaccess service provider. The gateway 102 may, upon receiving a requestfor content from a user of the communication device 104, present, via agraphical user interface and/or an audio notification, a message 300that offers a benefit to the user in exchange for deferring consumptionof the content until a later time. The gateway 102 may then deliver thecontent to the communication device 104 at a time determined by aresponse to the message received from the communication device 104.

The broadband gateway 102 may be operable to handle a plurality ofconcurrent physical layer connections 108 to a corresponding pluralityof network access service providers. The message may be presented afterdetermining current and/or historical usage of a network 110 over whichthe content is to be delivered. The message may provide several times atwhich the content may be delivered and a corresponding benefit availablefor each of the times. The times may correspond to times at which it isexpected there will be less traffic in the network 110 over which thecontent is to be delivered.

The benefit may comprise a credit to a subscriber account associatedwith the broadband gateway 102. The credit may be redeemable for free ordiscounted services and/or content. The credit may be redeemable foraccess to other content before the other content is available via otherbroadband gateways. The benefit may be a monetary amount added to asubscriber account associated with the broadband gateway 102. Ininstances that delivery of the content is deferred, the content may bedownloaded to local storage, such as memory module 206 or a DVR 104, ata time or times that historically correspond to periods of relativelylight traffic in a network 110 via which the content is to bedownloaded.

Other embodiments of the invention may provide a non-transitory computerreadable medium and/or storage medium, and/or a non-transitory machinereadable medium and/or storage medium, having stored thereon, a machinecode and/or a computer program having at least one code sectionexecutable by a machine and/or a computer, thereby causing the machineand/or computer to perform the steps as described herein for managingbandwidth by a broadband gateway.

Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware,software, or a combination of hardware and software. The presentinvention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least onecomputer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elementsare spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind ofcomputer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methodsdescribed herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware andsoftware may be a general-purpose computer system with a computerprogram that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computersystem such that it carries out the methods described herein.

The present invention may also be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation ofthe methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer systemis able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the presentcontext means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of aset of instructions intended to cause a system having an informationprocessing capability to perform a particular function either directlyor after either or both of the following: a) conversion to anotherlanguage, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different materialform.

While the present invention has been described with reference to certainembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material tothe teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope.Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited tothe particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A method for networking, the method comprising: in a broadbandgateway that enables communication with a plurality of communicationdevices, wherein said broadband gateway is operable to handle at leastone physical layer connection to at least one corresponding networkaccess service provider: upon receiving a request for content from auser of one of said communication devices, presenting a message thatoffers a benefit to said user in exchange for deferring consumption ofsaid content until a later time; and delivering said content to said oneof said one or more communication devices at a time determined by aresponse to said message received from said one of said one or morecommunication devices.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein saidat least one physical layer connection comprises a plurality of physicallayer connections and said at least one corresponding network accessservice provider comprises a plurality of corresponding access serviceproviders, and wherein each of said plurality of physical layerconnections corresponds to a respective one of said plurality ofcorresponding access service providers.
 3. The method of claim 1,comprising presenting said message after determining current and/orhistorical usage of a network over which said content is to bedelivered.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said message providesseveral times at which said content may be delivered and a correspondingbenefit available for each of said times.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein said times correspond to times at which it is expected therewill be less traffic in said network over which said content is to bedelivered.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said benefit comprises acredit to a subscriber account associated with said broadband gateway.7. The method of claim 6, wherein said credit is redeemable for free ordiscounted services and/or content.
 8. The method of claim 6, whereinsaid credit is redeemable for access to other content before said othercontent is available via other broadband gateways.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein said benefit is a monetary amount added to a subscriberaccount associated with said broadband gateway.
 10. The method of claim1, comprising, in instances that delivery of said content is deferred,downloading said content to local storage at a time or times thathistorically correspond to periods of relatively light traffic in anetwork via which said content is to be downloaded.
 11. A system fornetworking, the system comprising: one or more circuits for use in abroadband gateway that enables communication with a plurality ofcommunication devices, said one or more circuits being operable to:handle at least one physical layer connection to at least onecorresponding network access service provider; and upon receiving arequest for content from a user of one of said communication devices,present a message that offers a benefit to said user in exchange fordeferring consumption of said content until a later time; and deliversaid content to said one of said one or more communication devices at atime determined by a response to said message received from said one ofsaid one or more communication devices.
 12. The system according toclaim 11, wherein said at least one physical layer connection comprisesa plurality of physical layer connections and said at least onecorresponding network access service provider comprises a plurality ofcorresponding access service providers, and wherein each of saidplurality of physical layer connections corresponds to a respective oneof said plurality of corresponding access service providers.
 13. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable topresent said message after determining current and/or historical usageof a network over which said content is to be delivered.
 14. The systemof claim 13, wherein said message provides several times at which saidcontent may be delivered and a corresponding benefit available for eachof said times.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein said times correspondto times at which it is expected there will be less traffic in saidnetwork over which said content is to be delivered.
 16. The system ofclaim 11, wherein said benefit comprises a credit to a subscriberaccount associated with said broadband gateway.
 17. The system of claim6, wherein said credit is redeemable for free or discounted servicesand/or content.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein said credit isredeemable for access to other content before said other content isavailable via other broadband gateways.
 19. The system of claim 11,wherein said benefit is a monetary amount added to a subscriber accountassociated with said broadband gateway.
 20. The system of claim 11,wherein said one or more circuits are operable to, in instances thatdelivery of said content is deferred, download said content to localstorage at a time or times that historically correspond to periods ofrelatively light traffic in a network via which said content is to bedownloaded.